Vegan BLT Mac and Cheez

by eatwoo.com 7 June 2019, 07:28 2k Views

Vegan BLT Mac and Cheez

Vegan BLT Mac and Cheez: If vegan mac and cheese with smoky tempeh bacon, leeks, and tomatoes sounds like your thing… this recipe is for you!

MAKES 4 TO 6 LARGE SERVINGS

$2.06 PER SERVING

Ingredients for Vegan BLT Mac and Cheez recipe

1 (1-pound) package elbow macaroni or small tube or shell pasta

Cheez Sauce

½ cup vegan margarine
½ cup whole wheat flour
3½ cups boiling water
2 tablespoons soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon rubbed sage
1½ cups nutritional yeast
A few dashes of vegan liquid smoke
Salt and crushed black peppercorns

To Assemble

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (8-ounce) package tempeh bacon (we recommend Lightlife Smart Bacon or Upton’s Naturals Bacon), cut into bite-size pieces
1 large leek, cleaned and cut into half-moons
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
4 to 6 Roma or Campari tomatoes, quartered or sliced

How to make Vegan BLT Mac and Cheez ?

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare the pasta following the instructions on the package. Drain and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, make the cheez sauce: In a saucepan, melt the vegan margarine over medium heat. Once the margarine begins to bubble, whisk in the flour until the mixture forms a saturated paste, then whisk in the boiling water, soy sauce, garlic, onion powder, mustard, turmeric, and sage. Continue whisking until all the ingredients are completely blended, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.

Gradually whisk in the nutritional yeast until it has been completely incorporated and the sauce is creamy. Give the sauce a taste test, then mix in small amounts of the vegan liquid smoke, salt, and pepper until you like the flavor. Cover the sauce and remove it from the heat.

Assemble the mac and cheez: In a cast-iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Toss in the tempeh bacon, sliced leeks, and paprika and cook for about 1 minute, then flip with a spatula to make sure the tempeh bacon and leeks brown evenly.

Once the pasta is cooked, the sauce is prepared, and the tempeh bacon is lightly crispy, gently mix them all together in a large bowl. Fold in the tomatoes until all the ingredients are completely mixed. Serve warm.